Pianos are beautiful and often expensive musical instruments. Moving a piano can be an enormous task that should not be taken lightly. These instruments cost thousands of dollars and are both heavy and delicate. Damage to the internal or external areas of the piano can change the sound of your piano and flush your investment in the instrument down the drain. Hiring professional and expert piano movers is important to ensure that your piano is relocated safely and intact.
Certain factors will affect the cost of moving your piano.
Like most moves, the cost of moving depends on how far you need your goods to travel. Costs for moving locally or moving long distances differ to account for petrol charges and the extra time taken to travel the length or breadth of the country.
Charges for local moves usually range between NZD $2.5/km and $3.5/km whereas for long-distance piano moves, you can expect to incur $3.5-$8/km. Expect short distances to be a lot cheaper than long-distant travel.
Different pianos have different shapes, sizes and weights. Naturally, if your piano is large like a grand piano, or very heavy, more movers or equipment is required to remove it and lift it onto a truck. Here’s why the type of your instrument may add to your piano moving costs:
Heavy pianos will need more manpower and probably specialized equipment.
Grand pianos have an awkward structure and are difficult to handle and manoeuvre.
Partial disassembly may be required, along with extra wrapping and cushioning for large pianos.
If your home is oddly laid out or the access is difficult, it may cost you more to move your piano. If your piano is on the second floor it will be more expensive to move than if your piano is on the ground floor.
Stairs are the biggest, riskiest and most common obstacles all movers have to deal with. Many professional movers will use manpower (2-3 people) and specialized equipment to move your piano down a flight of stairs. Expect to incur NZD $60-$140/staircase or $6-$12/step if your move involves any stairs.
Some more obstacles that can add to your moving costs are:
Sharp turns & tight spaces
Narrow doorways
Spiral staircases
Hilly terrains
A grass, brick or gravel walkway between your home’s entrance and the movers’ truck
After keeping all the above-mentioned factors in mind, our Wise Movers have come up with the following averages and estimates for moving a piano in New Zealand.
Local Piano Move in New Zealand: Average cost of NZD $200-$500.
Long-distance Piano Move in New Zealand: Average cost of NZD $800-$2,000.
Note: To estimate your piano moving budget as accurately as possible, make sure you consider all factors related to you and allocate costs accurately to each of the factors relevant to your piano move.
Like any other cost calculation, the cost of moving a piano will differ depending on each individual circumstance. Some additional factors can affect the final price of your piano move. We have identified some of these factors below.
If your piano is located on the second floor of your home or is up a particularly large set of stairs your moving crew may use a crane to deliver it into the moving truck. Hoisting services will increase the cost of your piano move quite significantly. Prepare to pay between $750-$1,000 for a move that uses a crane.
Large, sensitive and very valuable pianos require extra care during the packing phase. They may need to be crated and dismantled, which leads to additional costs. Grand pianos usually have to be dismantled during the move; the music rack, legs and pedals are removed and stored carefully during transportation.
Dismantling a piano costs around $100. Heat-treated crating (for grand pianos) can cost between $800-$1,200.
Free insurance is usually offered by professional piano movers up to $5,000. In case you wish to buy additional insurance, you will be charged $10-$15 for every $1,000 of value.
If you wish to remove any additional items with your piano, for example, a piano bench, you will be charged on a weight basis: $2/kg.
If you require your piano movers to keep your musical instrument in storage, you can expect to incur $60-$100 monthly storage costs.
While tuning your piano happens after the move, we recommend calculating this service as part of your moving costs. It's highly likely you'll need to get your piano retuned after it's moved. During the move, the internal parts of your piano move around, which will affect its sound and performance. Getting it tuned a few weeks after the move is recommended (it will also account for the new environment’s climate and humidity).
We have calculated the total cost of a piano move after considering a range of factors. Please note your moving price may differ. For an accurate quote, use the Wise Move website to create a job listing for your piano move:
Total cost of your piano move = base rate + cost/km +cost/stair + cost/obstacle + additional costs
Here's a breakdown of the estimated costs for moving a grand and upright piano (NZ Dollars):
| Local Move | Long-distance Move | |
|---|---|---|
| Upright Piano | $200-$500 | $500-$800 |
| Grand Piano | $250-$650 | $800-$2,000 |
Book the best piano movers in New Zealand with Wise Move for dedicated, professional, and careful piano moving support. Our trusted moving teams can handle your valuable instrument safely from pickup to delivery, making your piano move simple, secure, and stress-free.
Wise Move is New Zealand’s leading moving service, helping thousands of customers with home moves, furniture removals, car and motorcycle transport, and more. Since 2017, we’ve been delivering reliable, affordable, and well-reviewed moving services in just a few simple steps. Our focus has always been on making moving as simple and effortless as possible for our customers.
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